Southeast soccer ranked 6th in OVC

The 2009 Southeast Missouri State women's soccer team has been predicted to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Defending regular-season champion Murray State is the OVC favorite according to the preseason poll released Wednesday. Voting was done by the league's coaches and sports information directors.

The Racers, who won their first regular-season title in 2008, received 12 of the 18 first-place votes and 124 points.

Defending OVC tournament champion Morehead State and Tennessee-Martin each picked up two first-place votes and 102 points, while Eastern Kentucky earned the final two first-place votes and 98 points.

Tennessee Tech was picked fifth, followed by Southeast, Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois and Austin Peay.

Southeast is coming off its worst season ever and only its second losing season, the other taking place in 1999 during the program's inaugural campaign.

The 2008 Redhawks went 2-9-3 overall and a last-place 1-5-2 in OVC play. That came after they won the previous two OVC tournament titles.

Coach Heather Nelson, who started the Southeast program in 1999, has a 10-year record of 102-56-21. She led the Redhawks to OVC regular-season titles in 2001, 2002 and 2007, along with league tournament crowns in 2006 and 2007.

"We have a young program with nine newcomers [and only two seniors]," Nelson said in a release. "We need to earn respect from other programs in the OVC, but I have total confidence that we will be right in the mix."

Southeast plays its first of two exhibition games at 7 p.m. Friday when St. Louis University visits Houck Stadium. Missouri-St. Louis comes to town Sunday for a 6 p.m. start.

The Redhawks open the regular season Aug. 21 at home against Indiana State.

Noteworthy

* The 2009 soccer season will see a change in the format for the six-team OVC tournament. In the past, first-round games have been held on the campus sites of the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds, with the regular-season champion hosting the semifinals and finals.

* This year the entire tournament will be held on the campus of the regular-season champion. The three-day event will take place Nov. 5, 6 and 8.

Klocke still undecided

Jim Klocke said Wednesday he still has not decided for certain whether he will return to Southeast for his senior season, although he said that remains his likely choice.

Klocke, Southeast's standout catcher who completed his junior season of eligibility this year, was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 46th round of the June amateur draft.

Klocke, who recently finished playing in the Cape Cod League for the second straight summer, has until Monday to sign with the Cardinals or elect to return to Southeast for his senior season. If he returns to Southeast, he would re-enter next year's draft pool.

"I still haven't decided 100 percent for sure what I'm going to do," Klocke said.

-- From staff reports